Why Facebook's 'Awesome' Video Calling Will Not Beat Google+ Hangouts

Facebook founder and CEO Mark Zuckerberg did have the most followers on Google+, but now nobody knows since he's changed his privacy settings. Now, nobody can see how many followers Zuckerberg has. Google founders Sergey Brin and Larry Page also changed their privacy settings, no longer showing how many followers they have. Photo: REUTERS

Well, the answer is known for the widely speculated Facebook's awesome feature.

It is, as expected, the video calling via partnership with Skype. The move is seen as direct response to the Google+'s 'Hangouts' feature, which already allows users to video chat.

Facebook's video calling will be available to everyone over the next few weeks in over 70 different languages.

Users can enable the video calling feature by simply clicking video call button at the top of the chat window. There is no need to download any kind of software.

Another key feature with Facebook video call is video messaging feature. You can leave a video message if the friend you try to call isn't available. A notification window will also tell you when you've a missed call.

But, the real question is whether it can beat Google+ Hangouts.

The key disadvantage with Facebook video chat is that it allows only one-on-one calls, where as Google+ allows group video chat. With Hangouts, up to 10 people can video chat at the same time. Google+ also allows group simultaneous watching of YouTube videos.

Though, the Facebook video chat is simple to use, it lacks in features, and one may thing that Mark Zuckerberg felt desperate and just rushed the service too quickly in response to Google+.

On the other hand, Google Hangouts is definitely more feature-rich but a little bit complicated to set up and use. In order to use Hangouts, one needs to have Google's Voice and Video Plugin, and chatting involves creating a hangout, inviting people to join either via Circles or individually.

But, the cool thing about Hangout is that one can chat either one-on-one or in a group, and it's all free. While Facebook video chat also comes free, but the group video chat is available only through a paid option via Skype.

Whether it's inside a pub or on a front porch, human beings have always enjoyed hanging out. And why not? It's how we unwind, recharge, and spend unscheduled time with old and new friends alike. Hanging out is deceptively simple though, and the nuance gets lost online, Google said in a blog post.

With Google+ we wanted to make on-screen gatherings fun, fluid and serendipitous, so we created Hangouts. By combining the casual meetup with live multi-person video, Hangouts lets you stop by when you're free, and spend time with your Circles. Face-to-face-to-face, the blog post added.

Watch the below video to see a demo of Hangouts feature.

Let's hope that Facebook will continue to improve on the video chat features and include a group video chat function at some point of time.

Zuckerberg hinted that video chat for multiple people could eventually be available on Facebook. But, he said that most video chats today occur between two people.

Facebook also made a few minor announcements, including an improvement to the group chat function. Users will now be able to chat with others in their group instantly.

Nevertheless, it definitely makes sense for Facebook and Skype to join forces against Google+, which could be another Facebook and even Skype's serious competitor.

Facebook and Skype have been working together earlier in a more limited capacity, integrating various Facebook features into Skype's program, but this deal could be a big leap for Facebook as well as Skype.

In October 2010, Skype integrated Facebook's News Feed and Phonebook features in its software.

The recent partnership will be a win-win situation for both companies. Facebook has more than 750 million users. If Skype integrates into Facebook it could mean an explosion in Skype users, while Facebook will get a massive leg-up if users will start using the social media site to chat via voice or video.

Meanwhile, the Facebook-Skype deal comes as Microsoft struck a deal to buy Skype for $8.5 billion. Microsoft, which has a stake in Facebook, has a close association with the social networking giant and its Bing powers Facebook's search.

In an attempt to prevent the person from committing suicide, Avleen K. Mokha in her Facebook post wrote, "Don't go ahead with this tonight. There's more in life to look forward to beyond tonight. Please be there to see it."